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ACT NOW: Seeking comments on NYS application for Medicaid waiver

Dear colleagues,

Please act now. Submit comments on New York’s request for a federal waiver to Medicaid rules barring the use of Medicaid for incarcerated individuals.

New York is seeking federal approval to become the first state in the nation to use Medicaid to pay for certain services that would help individuals transition from incarceration back to the community.

Incarcerated individuals would be connected to treatment, medication support and intensive care coordination prior to release, instituting a continuum of care and thereby improving their health.

Using Medicaid to help people as they leave jails and prison would be a huge step in transforming the criminal justice system from a punishment to a treatment-focused model.

Disruptions in medical care upon reentry lead to poor and costly health outcomes, such as increased drug use and re-incarceration, including a 12-fold rise in the risk of death in the first two weeks post-release.

Providing the needed array of transitional services would significantly increase the chances of a successful reentry into the community.

Click here for LAC’s comment template. Submissions are due this coming Sunday, November 20 at 11AM. Submit your comments here.

Please ask others to also submit comments.

ACT NOW and tell the Federal government to take this transformative step in changing in the criminal justice system and strengthening local communities.